The Window
by the-system
Summary: Third and last chapter of this story. Rogue meets the girl. Who is she? Why is she crying?
1. When hope is lost

------------------»Professor Xavier, Rogue, Gambit, Hank, «----------------- --- are Marvel Comics property.  
  
When hope is lost  
  
I'm not sure how to say this.- The doctor was... it was like he wasn't there. He was not shocked he was not surprised, but they never are according to rogue's personal experience.  
  
- So... doc tell me what to do to stop this miserable flu. ah mean ah could ask Hank, or even professor Xavier to examine me but they can't prescribe me drugs. - Rogue's facing the doctor, the doctor's looking to her blood test.  
  
He looked through his tiny glasses towards her, but, like he suddenly realized he made a mistake he turned his eyes to the paper. Rogue noticed it.  
  
- John what's wrong? - She was concerned, she threw her hands out of her pockets and stepped closer to the doctor.  
  
- It's the results of your blood sample... It.. You've got to do one more blood test to have sure.  
  
- Have sure of what?? I don't understand... Is it something going on with me? Tell me!  
  
- Rogue sit down. I've got to say you something. - she didn't sat down. rogue knew it. She knew John for years, he was one of few doctors mutant- friendly that respected and supported Xavier's cause. She couldn't believe he was playing tricks on her.  
  
- The results of this blood sample of yours tell you have a quite high number of white cells, and you're right, you got a cold, but it also tells you're HIV positive. And as you know the flu can be a direct consequence of it.  
  
Her eyes opened wide in a mix of confusion and fear. She brought her left hand to her forehead and passed it all over her hair. She started to shaking her head.  
  
- Can'tbecan'tbecan'tbe.. no no... how???  
  
- Are you using any protection during intercourse?  
  
- Hell yeah! You know what my powers can do when ah touch someone.  
  
How can that be possible? The test's wrong must be, no... can't happen ah...  
  
- Ok rogue. We'll do it one more time. These moments are never easy to anyone..  
  
- But it can't be!! Ah mean you don't understand, ah haven't be involved to anyone for years, ah don't use drugs, ah don't mess around with blood, ah...- She wanted to feel tears coming down her cheeks, and let all the pain go, but her eyes were too dried out and she couldn't feel anything.  
  
- All i'm saying is for you to wait. Just let us have sure and then we'll find out what to do next...  
  
- Like dying?? No, doc... I've already heard about it. People who carry AIDS must take like 40 pills a day to keep on living, ah can't imagine what to do if...  
  
- Look rogue I won't lie to you. To most of the people who make the second blood test to find out if it's true it's a confirmation. But we'll talk about it after we know. And if you haven't forgotten anything I can only guess it's related to you powers. I don't know why. I'm not an expert in the mutant subject but I advice you to talk about it with Xavier and I know it's tough to tell something like that to someone you care but you ought to do it. All this after you know the result of the second blood test ok?  
  
Later she did her blood test, at the hospital. She couldn't believe. How could that be? she couldn't got infected by the other ways so it must had something to do with her powers. "How?? All I can do is to fly, to have real strong punches, to absorb people's characteristics, how is this..". And all of a sudden she realized. It all came so quick...  
  
"Can it be that I touched somebody who was carrying AIDS and I somehow managed to absorb the virus?? But who?? The last person I touched...". She remembered it, it was not that long ago.. "Was a complete stranger, that girl near empire state, and not so far away from here.. I remember when we both grabbed the same T-shirt at that store, and her hand touched mine, I had forgotten my gloves home... I remember I passed out and didn't told anyone in the mansion about it... Can it be that.. NO.. My own powers... ".  
  
She was walking in the hall of the 17th floor of the hospital, nobody paid attention to her. Just an attractive young women with white highlights falling through her face. She ran to a window and jumped right out of it. She began to fly, higher and higher until no one could see her. Then she ripped off her clothes until she was in underwear. She wanted to feel the wind caressing her and washing away her tears that never had time nor place to happen. Sun in her face and wind through her body, just one more time before everything starts falling apart...  
  
  
  
  
  
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Attention plz. This is NOT the end. This story will have at least one more chapter 'cause it'll not be as simple as you think. By the way I'm Portuguese and I'm not used to write in English so if you find something that doesn't make sense or any mistake plz spit it out. Hope u enjoy it. The_system 


	2. Going down

---------------»Raven, Gambit, Rogue are Marvel Comics Property«----------  
  
Chapter 2: Going down  
  
  
  
- Remy ah wanna have a baby.  
  
- Later chérie right now I'm trying to fix this stupid motor bike, when I...WHAT??  
  
He turned his red eyes to rogue, still holding the screwdriver, waiting an answer.  
  
- Ah said ah wanna have a baby.  
  
Gambit laid down the tool and stood up facing the women and the person who made him change the most. Both knew what they felt for each other but everytime they try to start a relationship or just talk about it, a villain shows up to ruin their plans and keep them busy.  
  
- Look chérie this is not the right time to make such a choice. You know better than me what are the problems we have to solve before we take that step like... your powers, besides, we have responsibilities, we're X-Men. There's so little time in our lives...  
  
- Sometimes ah just want to punch you in the face Remy LeBeau, but ah don't cause if ah do you wouldn't wake up that fast.  
  
Gambit smiles and puts his hand in her shoulder. He would've wanted to caress her face and kiss her, but things don't work that way for them.  
  
- And why is that?  
  
- 'Cause ah don't know if you're telling the truth or just can't accept a commitment, and trust me it really pisses me off. - she crosses her arms and looks to the ground, as if she was watching a never-ending abyss. - ah know you're right, but sometimes ah... get tired of all this, we face death almost every week and in return we get hate, fear. I'm tired of it, ah just want to leave behind something of me when I'm gone so...  
  
- Honey... nobody's going anywhere, you'll have the rest of your life to do something like that.. don't rush things.  
  
- No ah won't - and she begins slowly to levitate away, her hair waves with the wind saying goodbye. Gambit realizes something's not right. She's frightened with something. What is it? He runs to her and grabs her hand, pulling her back to the ground.  
  
- Rogue what's wrong? Don't do anything stupid...- He's still holding her back, but she's too strong. She releases her hand and flies backwards, facing Gambit.  
  
- No ah won't have the rest of my life to do it...  
  
Three days have passed since she found she was HIV positive. The doctor said the results of the second blood test were ready one day later, but she was putting it off trying to figure which was the best way to handle the situation. Rogue was afraid of the results, afraid of being one more life wasted in vain, and afraid of die in such a miserable way. Day by day, loosing her strengths, her hopes, her faith, not even glimpsing her attacker, victim of a silent death.  
  
Sometimes she tried to remember the address or even the name of the girl she touched in that mall. But she couldn't. When rogue happens to touch someone she almost immediately tries to forget what she knew about the person, trying to give back the person's memories and secrets she stole, trying to give back the most intimate and private things people own. She vaguely remembered the girl physical appearance. She was quite young, had glasses, had short brown hair... She looked normal just like any other girl. So if the girl was infected with the virus she didn't know it.  
  
Flying back to the hospital wasn't easy, she was all shaking, and couldn't even control right her flight. Rogue landed on firm ground and walked to the hospital. Sun timidly shone between some gray clouds who refused to move away.  
  
Streets were crowded, so many people, so many life. "How will I say this to my friends? That I'm about to die... that there's no solution to my problem, what will they say?" she tried to picture their faces, one by one, but it was useless. Nobody knew how would they react to something like this. "Maybe the best thing to do is to lie, and move to another place and.." but deep inside Rogue knew she couldn't do it. They've been there for her everytime she needed, she couldn't hide something like this to her own family. "Just hope it was all a mistake".  
  
She promised herself not to think about it in the way to the hospital, but her promise was broken when she passed near the mall, where everything happened. Rogue didn't move at all for a couple of minutes.  
  
She arrived the hospital half an hour later. Nurses and staff rounded the space in a hurry, as if the life of someone depended on that. Most of the time it did.  
  
17th floor. The doors opened and rogue stepped out of the elevator. She hesitated, turned back facing the elevator again.  
  
- Are you going down miss? - asked an old lady inside.  
  
- Ye... no.. i'm not going down.  
  
- Ok. Have a nice day.  
  
"Right." She continued walking to the doctor's office. When she got there, the door was closed, but she could hear him on the phone. She stopped right there.  
  
"Oh raven it would be so much easier if I had you by my side... but I must do this alone. I must. So... hard. This is it."  
  
Rogue knocked the door with strength enough to hear it in the floor above.  
  
- Come in.  
  
"This is it"  
  
She opened the door and stepped in. Light invaded the room almost blinding her, like Sun himself was there, eager to learn the truth about her.  
  
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	3. The Window

--------------»Rogue, Gambit, Xavier are Marvel Comics property«-----------  
  
Chapter 3: The Window  
  
It took a while to her eyes to get used to all that light.  
  
- So you finally decided to show up.  
  
- Ah couldn't run away from it doc, it's my life...  
  
- But if you did run I wouldn't have known how to give you the good news.  
  
John smiled, he opened a drawer in his desk and withdrew a piece of paper.  
  
- You mean ah..  
  
- Yes darling you're not infected with AIDS. Apparently it was all a mistake, your blood test was switched with another's person. I'm sorry you had to been through all this...  
  
She brought her hands to her red-cheeked face, tears began to fall, but the doctor could hear her laughing.  
  
- Got damn it John, I'm glad ah didn't brought a gun with me 'cause I'd shoot you right away. Can't believe it.  
  
The doctor was happy for her, but his smiled seem to vanish when he watched what it seemed like another blood test result.  
  
- What is it doc? Are you sure everything's all right? You're not lying to me are you? You're not hiding me something? - Asked Rogue wiping out her tears to her sweater.  
  
- Of course i'm not! It's just that she's so young... - He said sadly.  
  
- She?? Who is she?? What are you talking about? - Asked rogue still kinda confused.  
  
The doctor turned his eyes up facing rogue, and adjusted his glasses.  
  
- She... the person who the switch was made with. You see, your blood test ended up in her and hers ended up in you. So she's HIV positive and you're not. - He made a break in is speech, thinking of something and then, started talking again - Come with me rogue.  
  
He brought her to his office's door and opened it.  
  
- Usually I don't do this, it goes against my principles, one of the things I value most is the privacy of my patients... but I'll make an exception for you..  
  
He pointed out to a young women who was siting against them. All Rogue could see was her back.  
  
- Seeing that girl over there? I told her she was HIV positive two days ago, told her to get day off yesterday, so that today we could start the treatment. Want to know how old is she? - He didn't waited an answer - She's 19. What an age for dying... Mean AIDS' carriers can live for years, but it's a burden too heavy to carry for an entire life, no one should do it.  
  
Suddenly the girl stood up and went near the window, standing sideways, watching the city. Rogue finally could see her face, and even in profile, she recognized her.  
  
- Oh my gawd....  
  
- What? What is it?  
  
- It's... nevermind...  
  
The girl she touched in that mall, was standing right in front of her. Her hair was a bit more long, but everything else matched. Same glasses, same expression, same stature.  
  
- I just want you to understand that sometimes X-Men can save lives in other ways than just fighting against Apocalypse or Magneto. Advertising against AIDS would alert people to became aware of this epidemic virus. And it would have much more impact if people like X-Men...  
  
- Ah got it John you have my word I'll talk about it with the rest of the X- Men and with professor Xavier. Ah know what you're trying to say, be calm, and stay cool.  
  
Rogue said goodbye to the doctor and the door was closed. She thought of leaving and fly away to the mansion again, but only for a couple of seconds. She couldn't leave things that way. All help the girl could get was welcome at this point of her life.  
  
She approached the girl looking through the window, the girl was so away, so in other reality.  
  
- Hi there. - greeted Rogue.  
  
The girl didn't answer, she totally wasn't there.  
  
- What's your name?  
  
- Lisa. - answered the girl not even looking at Rogue.  
  
- Remember me?  
  
She turned her eyes to Rogue and...  
  
- You're the woman who passed out at that shop, 'course I do.  
  
- And the woman with your blood test was switched. Wanna talk about it?  
  
Rogue patiently waited, trust was not so easy to conquer...  
  
- Do you believe I didn't even told my parents about it? And I'm thinking not to do it. I... just don't know what to do... it's... - she couldn't avoid tears anymore, words were said between one sob and another. - it's... it's... all my fault.  
  
Rogue holds her, and brings her to a seat. She starts talking.  
  
- Shhh honey it's nobody fault. Nobody deserves what you're going through. If you're parents and your friends truly love you they will accept you as you are. No need to be afraid. Ah... - Rogue thought if she should say what she was about to. - I'm a mutant, I've been through a lot prejudice and hate, and even sometimes ah just want to vanish from the face of the earth...  
  
- You are?  
  
-Yes. Come on let's have a cup of coffee. - says Rogue rising in her feet. She stretches her hand out to Lisa, and in the moment their hands were about to touch, Rogue realizes she had forgotten her gloves at the mansion, once again.  
  
- NO! Don't touch me! - Yelled Rogue, diverting her arm aside.  
  
- WHAT? - Lisa is completely shocked. Rogue understood what was about to happen.  
  
- I knew it!! Mutant or not you're the same as everybody else! You're even disgusted to touch me, afraid that I pass you the disease. - said violently the girl as she grabbed her jacket hanged in the wall.  
  
- No!! You got it wrong, you don't understand... let me explain it to you...  
  
- You don't have to explain anything! I'm leaving now. You're not the first doing this to me and you'll no be the last one. I... - The girl ran to the elevator that was about to close its doors. Even only seeing her from behind, Rogue knew she was crying, and the most unbearable of the situation was that she couldn't do nothing about it. Even with her superhuman strength she felt so vulnerable. She sat down with her hands holding her had, facing the floor.  
  
Rogue stayed there for a couple of minutes until she heard a voice strangely familiar. And felt a hand on her shoulder.  
  
- Is everything ok Chèrie? What are you doing here? Xavier recognized your bio-signature and we followed you here. Come on he's waiting. I promise you we'll find a way to overcome you powers.  
  
- Remy it's not what you're thinking. Ah promise we'll talk about it later, but right now ah just need some time alone Kay? - She glanced at Gambit and opened the window. Some people were passing by, watching what she was doing. Rogue didn't care. She flew away, higher and higher.  
  
And then Rogue realized something, that she, the girl who jumped through the window was quite like Lisa, only with a difference. Lisa couldn't fly.  
  
  
  
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That's it folks. The story's over. Hoped you enjoyed as much as I enjoyed writing it. Thank you very much to all of you for your support. 


End file.
